Apparatus for reclaiming packing waste and oil extracted therefrom



H. E. SMITH 2,32,855 CKING WlASTE' AND OIL EXTRACTED THEREFROM March 3, 1935.

APPARATUS FOR RECLAIMING PA Filed July' 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY TAEREFROM H. E. sMiTfi March 3, i936.

APPARATUS FOR REGLAIMING PACKING WASTE AND OIL EXTRACTED Filed July 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lauuwlllll ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITE D STATES :e rgar owl-ca 2,032,855: APPARATUS. FOR, RECLAINING. 'PAonrNG WASTE AND OIL FROM EXTRACTED THERE- Application-July 5, 1934, Serial No. 733,917

s olaims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for reclaiming or renovating packing waste such as is used as'packing in journal boxes and the like and for'reclaimingthe used oil extracted therefrom for further use either in reclaimed condition or by admixture respectively with newer fresh-waste and oil'. v

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatusof this characterand for these purposes whereby usedpacking waste may bereclaimed and the oil: carried thereby extracted and both the waste and the oil-restored to working condition in a simple, rapid and economical manner for satisfactory reuse, and whereby these resultsmaybe efficiently obtained with an elimination of steps of" treatment heretofore foundnecessary to" be employed:

In theaccompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a schematic plan View, with parts in section, of my'improvedwasteand oil renovating;

apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a similar- View in elevation looking;

In carrying my invention into practice, drums of inbound, dirty journalbox packing are liftedby an overhead hoist or other suitable means and dumped onto a receiving table I, where the-packing is sorted roughly, by hand, to remove the coarser impurities. Thence, the packing is thrown loosely into a first washing vat 2'of a series of'spaced washing vats 2, 3; and 4, which is filled with comparatively dirty car oil'heat'ed by a' submergedsteamcoil 5. In the-vat 2 the packing is allowed to soak for a time, meanwhile being worked in theoil by a hand hook, so as to loosen up and wash out a certain amount of the impurities and oil therein. The packing is then lifted by means of ahand fork or by power lifted tongs and deposited upon a drain-board or pan 2a. disposed between the vats 2 and Son which it is allowed torest' for drainage by gravity of a portion. of! the oil; therefrom back. into the vat 2; The packing isjthenv removed from. the board 2a and deposited in the oil in the vat. 31 in whi'chit is treated in the same manner as in vat. 2. From the vats the wasteisthenremoved and deposited upon. av drain-board 3a.- disposedbetween the vats 3 andA. for a. similar drainage actionof aportionc of the oilback into the vat3. Thewaste is then washedin thevat. 4 in themanner describedwith.

' reference to vats 2' and 3" andis then transferred onto adrain-board 411 having portions disposed along-the outer. end and rear side of the vat 4 on whichit rests for a sufficient period to drain a predetermined amount of the oil therefrom, which oil drains back into the vat 4. The. drain-boards 2a, 3a, and 4a may be of any suitable formgandj construction for. the purpose and boards 2a and: 3e and portions of the board 4a are suitably sloped toward the vats 2, 3, and H serve as supporting guides over, which the waste may be drawn in its. transfer from vat to vat and to retain and return the oil draining from the waste by gravity to therespective vats and to prevent the oil from.

slopping onto. the. floor or other extraneous surfaces. The vat 3" contains a submerged heating.

coil 6 andthe vat,4 a submerged heating coil 1 similar to, the coil 5. The, form and construction of the board 4a extending around two.sides of the vat 4 gives ample space for a loosening up: and spreading out of the packing, if desired, to. place the packing in condition for further'treatment. The vat 3* contains somewhat cleaneroilv than the vat 2, while the vat 4 contains somewhat cleaner oil. than the vat 3. The coils.in these vats are supplied with steam from, a suitable.

source through a steam supply line or lines 8.

The working of? the packing successively in the. vats 2', 3, and 4 gradually and progressively re moves therefrom. the dirt and other foreign ma.- terialsand a. substantial proportion of the original oil therein, its place being taken by the relatively clean oil from the store in the vat 4. After the packingisworked' through thethird washing vat 4'it is lifted therefrom and deposited upon the, draining board, shelf or pan 4a, where it is allowed to remain sufficiently long to admit. of the gravity separation therefrom and return to vat 4, by drainage,v of a considerable part of the free, oil carried. thereby. By the end of thatv drainage period, the temperature of the oil still retained by the waste, has been reducedto apoint substantially below that of the oil in. the vat 4'. The waste so drained and cooled, is then transferred into. a centrifuge basket 9 standing on a balancer Hi. This balancer comprises a support which allows correct distribution of the load in the centrifuge basket. It stands in a pan H having an oil drain outlet 12. Whenloaded, the basket is removed to a centrifuge l3, and revolved therein to remove, as much oil as possible fromv the waste.

The oil. in vats 2 and 3 is kept at a. temperatureof 180-200 F., well below the boiling point. of. water. The greater. part of the water. in. the. packing is settled out in vat 2', and is drawn off to a sewer through a valve controlled pipe l4 leading from the bottom of the vat. The 011 in vat 4 is kept at a temperature of 230250 F., and the water remaining in the packing after treatment in the vats 2 and 3 is boiled off in this vat 4. The vats 2, 3, and 4 and boards 2a and 3a and a portion of the board 4w are preferably arranged with the table I in longitudinal alinement with each other for the ready and convenient transfer of the waste from one to the other. Theboard 4a is provided with a chute or the like I5 having a cut-away portion l6 for delivery of the drained waste to the centrifuge basket 9 on the balancer It).

Any surplus of oil contained in vat 2 above a predetermined working level escapes via an overflow I1, to'a pipe l8, which leads to an unheated, dirty oil sump IQ, of small capacity, positioned below the floor level. Similarly the surplus oil contained in vat 3 discharges back into the vat 2 via an overflow 20, while the surplus oil in vat 4 discharges back through an overflow 2| into vat 3, the oil removed from the packing thus traveling back to the vat 2 to keep the oil in the vats 3 and 4 in a comparatively clean condition, while the removed dirt and other foreign particles are deposited to progressive degrees in the vats 2, 3 .and 4. The supply of oil in the system of vats is replenished as required with fresh or clean oil, that is, settled oil, from unheated, settling tanks 22, 23, and 24, such replenishing oil being supplied to the vat 4. This replenishing oil flows through a supply line 25, having valved connections 26 with the respective tanks, to a hydrant 21, from which it is drawn into a bucket, the bucket being transported over an overhead monorail line 28 to the vat 4. Water, sediment and dirty oil may be drawn periodically, or whenever required, from the bottoms of vats 2, 3, and 4, through valved pipes 29 to pipes 18 and I8 leading to the dirty oil sump I 9, which ordinarily is of about fifty gallens capacity.

No oil is returned directly from the sump I 9 to any of the washing vats. From that sump, the oil received is automatically transferred by a pump 30 to an unheated dirty oil storage tank 3|, supported with its bottom higher than the tops of the washing vats 2, 3, and 4. From the dirty oil storage tank 3| the oil is transferred to the settling tanks 22,23, and 24 via a dry-up 'pan 32, of a construction hereinafter described.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the waste is first washed in comparatively dirty or impure heated oil in the primary vat or tank 2, whereby a certain proportion of the oil content and foreign materials inthe waste are removed therefrom, the waste is then transferred to and washed in heated oil of a somewhat higher degree of purity in the intermediate or secondary vat 3, wherein it is further cleaned, and that the waste is then transferred to and finally washed in the heated oil of a still higher degree of purity in the last vat 4 in which it is cleaned to the finally desired degree for resaturation with pure oil for use as reclaimed packing. The oil in vats 2 and 3 is heated, as hereinbefore stated, to a suitable cleansing temperature of from 180 to 200 F., at which temperature an efficient cleaning action with the removal of a certain proporof the moisture remaining in the waste after treatment in the tanks 2 and 3 driven oil. By this stage-by-stage treatment of the waste in a series of heated oil baths of different degrees of purity, beginning with a bath of comparatively dirty oil and ending with a bath of pure or comparatively pure oil, .and by replenishing the cleansing oil in the vats in the manner described, substantial and important advantages are gained. The stage-by-stage treatment of the waste in baths of successively increasing oil purity, of which any number may be used, enables even very dirty waste or mixed waste soiled to different degrees to be cleaned to the exact extent desired so that uniform cleaning of all waste in any condition in which it comes to the washer may be effected in a highly efficient and economical manner. As stated, the oil is replenished, periodically or as required, in the vat 4 by the addition thereto of pure oil or oil of a certain high degree of purity while the oil in the intermediate vat 3 isreplenished therefrom by overflow through the connection 2|, and the oil in the vat 2 is replenished from the vat 3 by overflow through the connection 20, the vat 2 being drained of impure oil,

the place of which is taken by purer oil from the vat 3, through the overflow connection I! leading to the dirty oil sump l 9. By this means an automatic replenishing of the oil in each vat is cbtained by the addition of purer oil from the succeeding vat, the replenishing oil flowing from the final vat to the primary vat in a direction opposite to the direction of progress of the waste, the discharge of oil from each vat occurring as a result of added increment, i. e., replenishing oil, increase of foreign matter removed from the waste, or bulk of waste during a washing action, causing displacement of the oil above its highest working level. The transfer of the waste from a preceding vat from which a portion of the oil has thus been displaced to a following vat will,

an automatic gravital displacement of the oil is effected from tank to tank in inverse order to the travel of the waste as the washing action progresses. The addition of pure oil to the vat 4 may cause at any time, according to quantity supplied, .a displacement of oil therefrom into the preceding tank or tanks, according to the condition of the level of the oil in such tanks. This method of washing the waste and replenishing the tanks with oil enables economy in the use of oil to be effected, inasmuch as the same oil is used throughout a series of operations, and it also obviates the necessity of the use of pumps, siphons, or other mechanical transfer devices for circulating the oil, and which are liable in action to stir up the refuse material in the bottoms of the vats and muddy the washing oil in the vats, so that the oil in which the waste is washed will always be maintained at the degrees of purity desired and established for the different washingactions. It will be evident, of course, that this method of replenishing the oil .also ensures the maintenance of the oil in the vats at substantially the proper intended differential purity ratios, since the purer oil in one vat somewhat contaminated by a washing action, is displaced into the preceding vat containing washing oil of less purity and so on throughout the series. This replenishing action further tends to secure economy in the use of steam supplied hand to remove knots, short threads and to the heating coils in the vats, inasmuch as the hotter oil discharged from the vat 4 into vat 3 and from. the latter into the. vat 2, assists in maintaining the oil in the latter-named vats at the intended temperatures, so that economy in the use of steam for heating the coils 5- and 6 is ensured. Other advantages of this method are that through the described. arrangement of the vets, the washing, actions may be successively carried out if desired. by direct transfer of the waste over the drainboards without rest for time drainage from vat to vat, thus avoiding the necessity of. transferring the waste any considerable distance through theair between spaced vats and causing slopping of the oil over the fioor or other surface or undue coolingv of the waste from atmospheric exposure during successive washing treatments.

From the centrifuge i3 the basket of extracted waste is lifted and dumped onto the wire-meshed top of one of two portable sorting tables 33' and 34, where it is thoroughly sorted and shakenv by dirt. These portable tables 33' and 34 may be moved into and out of working position with relation to a tumbler 35, and said tables: are designed to be used alternately in order to give waste resting thereon opportunity to cool. The temperature. and moisture content, if any, of the waste-Jon the table 33' or 34' are: brought, by the cooling, action, to a condition. such. that no detectable moisture escapes from the waste during the tumbling action which follows. At the end of the cooling period the waste is transferred from the table 33 or 34-. to and passed. through. the; uncnclosed slowly rotatable, unheated wiremesh tumbler 35,. to fluff it. up and complete the removal of short. threads: and residual". dirt therefrom, which may be attained thereby withoutthe assistance of air: currents; From. the rumbler the waste flows into a sheet metal box 36- and then: in a. state ready for re-saturation.

In the operation of re-saturating' the cleaned or renovated. waste for use, enough clean waste to make one drum of packing is: weighed in a sheet metal scoop and placed in a wiremeshed' saturation. basket which is qmckly lowered into an excess of hot oil in. one of t e: saturation vats 31',v 38., andv 39. After saturation is completed, the basket is hoisted. clear of the oil and the surplus oilallowed to draintherefrom When the draining is nearlycompleted, or at any time previouslm. the basket is hung on a" crane scale. When the pointer of the scale shows a weight indicative of correct saturation, the basket of re-sa-turated waste is: dumped intoa shipping drumv and. is ready for use in packing journalboxes. New waste may be saturated for use by the apparatus or for admixture with. the: i onovated waste. In preparing the. new waste, the waste is; pulled out, shaken by hand and. the over-length threads cut. The waste is; then saturatedin one of the saturation. vats in the: same manner as the renovated waste: above: described.

The renovation of the used. oil extracted: from the; waste. is effected in the following. manner:- From the vat 2. settled water may be drawn off to the sewer via pipe M as previously'set forth. The. dirty oil from vats 2, 3, and. 4', balancer Iii! and the centrifuge I31, all. of whichare connected.

with the drain pipe. l8, collects'through. saidrpipe. to the sump l-9. From the sump I 9 the: dirty oil is delivered by thepump 3ll'to' the: overhead dirty oil tank 3.-I From this tank the; oilais transferred through. a. pipe.- 40 to the dri'er pan. 321.. This. panis long and shallow and is provided. in its bottom with a horizontally disposed steam coil 4lsuitably supplied with steam from the steam supply source. The oil flows into one end of this pan through the pipe 40 and travels to the opposite end of the pan. In this pan the oil is subjected to heat of a suflicient degree to boil off any water, ii there be any, which remains therein. From the pan. 32 the oil flows through pipes 42 having controlling valves 43 therein to the settling. tanks 22, 23, and 2.4, in which it remains quiet for several hours in order to allow all but the finest dirt to settle. The three tanks 22, 23, and 24 are filled, settled anddrawn. off or emptied in turn. A portion of this settled oil is returned to the washing vat 4 for a vat replenishing. action, as previously described.

That portion of the settled oil in the tanks 22, 23,. and 24, which is not withdrawn on replenishing. the oil in. the washing vats, is delivered to a constant level box 44 by an electric pump 45'. This pump may be manually thrown into and out of action if desired, but is preferably automatically started and stopped by suitable switch mechanism actuated by a float in the box 44. From the constant level box 4-4 the oil flows through a superheater 46, which is heated by steam to raise the temperature of the oil to about 300 F., which greatly increases the fluidity of the oil. Thence the hot oil flows through a valve controlled pipe 4-? into a. pair of super-centrifuge machines 48* of any suitable type, working in parallel. These remove: the remaining very finely divided dirt from. the oil and vent any vapors, thereby completing the renovation of the oil which is then conducted by gravity through a valve controlled pipe 4'9 to a.- storage tank 55'. From. this tank 50= the oil may be pumped by the-pump 51 to the re satura tion vats. 31:, 38, and 3-9, for use therein or the oil may first-bemixed with other oi-ls-,.man-- ually supplied to the tank 50', by pumping it. out oi and then back into that tank by means of pump 5 h. so. that purified renovated. oil may be rendered. available for use. Any surplus renovated: oilwhich can not be used immediately may be delivered by pump- 5! and valved line 52' to an unheated storage tank (not shown) from.which it may be supplied for use as occasion requires.

Sediment, including Water, ifany, and undraine'doil: accumulating in the settling tanks 22,. 23?, and'.2 4 may be drawn: off" throughvalved: line 53.=into=afi1ter 54: where the oil: is recovered. The

filtering medium. used. in: filter 54 maybe short thread waste supported on a wire mesh, theoil flowing through the. filter by gravity.

It will: be observedthat the: series of vats 2 3,- and i andipa'rts: cooperating therewith: for cleaning andpreparing the. waste for i e-saturation are arrangedin a longitudinal row so as to facilitate the transfer oi thewaste for a step: by step'treatment from one to the other'i n a mostadvanta-- geous manner, while the parts for the renovation of the oil andre-saturation oi the: waste are arranged in anotherlon'g-itudinal. row plac'e'd opposite the row oi parts for cleaning the waste,

while the overheaddirty oiltank is disposed between the primary washingvat and settling tank in the rows, with the overhead monorail extending' thereover and over the row of washing vats and. related devices, so that the parts employed inthe steps of treating: the oil' are also" most advantageously arranged, together with the waste saturatingmeans, to facilitate the work and reduce the amount of labor and time periods-in vclved in th'evarious steps of operation. By this means, and by the elimination of other steps commonly used, a very compact apparatus capable of being inexpensively installed and operated is provided.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, my improved method of renovating waste of the character described and the oil recovered therefrom will be readily understood without a further and extended description, and it will be seen that a method is pro vided whereby the waste may be readily and efficiently treated to remove particles and to extract the oil therefrom, and the waste then re-saturated for further use, in an economical Way. Also it will be seen that the invention provides a method and apparatus for efiiciently and economically renovating the recovered used oil. The invention further provides a simple, reliable and eflicient type of apparatus for the purpose, whereby the operation of recovering the waste and used oil and renovating the same for further use may be performed. By the use of this method and apparatus a number of the steps commonly employed'in prior processes for these purposes are eliminated with a reduction in time and course of treatment and amount of working apparatus required. Railroads and other establishments using a large amount of waste for packing purposes may, therefore, reclaim the waste and oil for reuse at a substantial saving by the use of renovated Waste and oil, and

by the use of my invention effect a substantial saving in the renovating of these substances, in

comparison with methods and apparatus for th purpose heretofore in use.

What I claim is 1. In an apparatus for reclaiming used packing waste and the like, a series of longitudinally spaced washing vats arranged in following order and successively at increasing elevations between the first and last of the series, the first vat containing a body of washing oil of comparatively low purity and the following vats bodies of oil of increasingly higher purity each with respect to the other, in which bodies of'oil differentially graded as to purity the waste is successively washed, means for heating the oil in the vats, means for the discharge of oil rising above a predetermined washing level from the first vat of the series, overflow replenishing connections between the upper portions of the vats of the series for the gravity discharge of oil above a washing level from each vat to apreceding vat, whereby each vat from the last to the first of the series is automatically replenished to maintain a working volume of oil therein and in such manner as to differentially maintain a predetermined ratio of purity of the oil in the respective vats, and sloping drainboards in the spaces between the vats for guiding the waste in its transfer from vat to vat and for supporting the waste and conducting drainage oil therefrom to the preceding vat.

2. An apparatus for treating packing waste for reclamation comprising a series of spaced oil containing washing vats arranged in following order and in gradient relation at different levels from the first to the last of the series, means for heating the oil in the tanks, a sump, means for draining deposits from the bottom portions of the vat to the sump, inclined drainboards bridging the spaces between the vats and forming guiding surfaces over which the waste may be drawn from vat to vat and drain surfaces for the return of oil draining from the waste'back into the vat from which it is drawn, an overflow oil discharge all coarse and foreign conductor connecting the primary vat of the series at its highest oil level with the sump, and conductors connecting each succeeding vat of the series at its highest oil level with the washing oil containing space of the preceding vat of the series for conducting replenishing oil from vat t0 vat in the direction opposite to the direction of progress of the waste.

3. In an apparatus for reclaiming used packing waste and the like, a series of oil containing vats arranged in following order to receive the waste and in which the waste is successively washed in the oil to remove the dirty oil and foreign materials therefrom, means for heating the oil in the vats, said vats having overflow connections at different levels for the flow of oil successively from vat to vat throughout the series from the final vat to the first vat of the series, drain boards arranged between the vats of the series and following the final vat for guiding the waste in its transfer from vat to vat and for supporting the waste after each washing action for drainage of oil therefrom, each drain board being arranged first vat of the series, means for drawing off dirty i.

oil and refuse from each vat, means for collecting the same and the overflow oil from the first vat, and drain boards between the vats of the series and following the final vat for guiding the waste in its transfer from vat to vat and for supporting the waste after each washing action for the drainage of oil from the waste and return of the drainage oil to the vats.

5. In an apparatus for reclaiming used packing waste and the like, a row of longitudinally alined and spaced oil containing washing vats adapted to successively receive the waste to be washed in the oil therein, means for heating the oil in the vats, means for withdrawing the oil and impurities therefrom, sloping drain boards disposed in the spaces between the vats of the row for guiding the waste in its transfer from vat to vat and for supporting the waste after each Washing action for drainage of oil therefrom and arranged to discharge the drainage oil into the preceding vat, and a drain board having portions arranged at two adjacent sides of the final vat of the row for supporting the waste for a drainage action and having its portions sloping toward said vat.

6. In an apparatus for reclaiming used packing waste and the like, a row of longitudinally alined V and spaced oil containing washing vats adapted to successively receive the waste to be washed in the oil therein, overflow connections between the tops of said vats for the overflow of the oil successively from vat to vat from the final vat to the first vat of the row, means for heating the oil in the vats, means for withdrawing the oil and impurities therefrom, sloping drainboards disposed in the spaces between the vats of the row for guiding the waste in its transfer from vat to vat and for supporting the waste after each washing action for drainage of oil therefrom and arranged to discharge the drainage oil into the preceding vat, and a drainboard having portions arranged at two sides of the final vat of the row for supporting the waste for a drainage action and having its portions sloping toward said vat.

7. In an apparatus for reclaiming used packing waste and the like, a series of oil containing vats arranged in following order and successively at increasing elevations between the first and last vat of the row, said vats being adapted to receive the waste and in which the waste is successively washed in the oil to remove the dirty oil and foreign materials therefrom, means for heating the oil in the vats, inclined overflow connections between the vats for the overflow of excess oil from each vat to the other from the final to the first vat of the series, and means following each vat of the series and disposed between the same and the succeeding vat for guiding the waste in its transfer from vat to vat and for supporting the waste after each washing action for the drainage of oil from the waste and return of the drainage oil to the vats.

8. In an apparatus for reclaiming used packing waste and the like, a row of longitudinally alined and spaced oil containing washing vats adapted to successively receive the waste to be washed in the oil therein, said vats being arranged at increasin'gly higher elevations from the first to the last vat of the series, conductors arranged for the gravity overflow of oil from one vat to the other from the final vat to the first vat of the series, means for heating the oil in the vats, means for withdrawing the oil and impurities therefrom, and sloping drain boards disposed in the spaces between the vats of the row for guiding the waste in its transfer from vat to vat and for supporting the waste after each washing action for drainage of oil therefrom and arranged to discharge the drainage oil into the preceding vat.

HARRY E. SMITH. 20 

